Ten Tips for Home Organization
As the spring is upon us it is a good time to tackle your home’s organization before the warmer weather hits. Here are some tips on how to address some of the most common household complaints.
I Cannot Find It – Having too much clutter in any part of the house is always going to make it more difficult to locate the items you are looking for. Getting organized can be easier than you think. For example, for any messier carports, garages or even closets start with a simple hanging solution. Try investing in a peg board and using hooks to hang things. In addition, use a marker and draw an outline around each item or tool so indicate its location.
I Forgot it at Home – Have you been guilty of leaving the house and forgetting essential things? The solution for this is to set up an area for success. Try creating an organization system with pockets that hangs on the door knob or on the door that holds the items you need when you head out next. These door organizers are often inexpensive and can certainly help a lot for when things get busy.
Laundry, Clean or Dirty? – A simple solution for a multiple person household is to get each family member their own laundry basket. When laundry is done and clean, members can retrieve their basket from the laundry room. This should be a solution to asking if it is done or questioning whereabouts for particular items.
Do I Have Everything? – The kitchen is often times the heart of the home. It is commonly where we open our mail, do homework, pile up stuff and eat! Try dedicating areas for certain routines. One area can be set up for lunches, another for coffee and one for mail.
Emergency Info – Another great tip to put together is a household manual. This just takes a little bit of time and costs nothing. Try grabbing a 3 ring binder and compile all necessary important information there. Include things like emergency contact info, family doctor info, school rosters, medication info, vet info (if you have pets), and any other valuable info for emergencies.
Centralize Cords – With so many cell phones, tablets, remotes and what not there can be many different cords scattered around the house. Try locating one spot in the home and have a central charging station. A charging station can hide cords while keeping everything together in one organized place.
Toys – With kids, come their toys. Every parent loves to provide toys for their children, but getting kids to put away their toys can oftentimes be a challenge. Try using bins for toys so they can be put away properly. Each bin should hold similar toys to keep things orderly. You can even have fun with this by putting a picture on each bin for what items go in it.
Your Sanctuary – Everyone needs one place in their home to relax and decompress from the world’s demands. Ideally, this should be your bedroom as it is your place to rest. A tidy room free of piles of laundry, books and the like will foster a relaxing atmosphere. Begin by getting rid of clothing that you never wear or no longer fits. Then sort through your books and magazines that have collected. Only keep those that are active reads or current issues. Relocate or give away the rest.
Tidy up After Yourself – Some areas of the house that are common rooms tend to get messy first. The bathroom in particular can be one room where everyone needs to play their part of cleanliness before it becomes a disaster. Try getting each member a caddy system. This way each person is responsible for putting their products away and storing the caddy after they are finished.
Finding the Time for Organization – Many people use the excuse of lack of time to stay organized. The best way to manage the process is to reduce the clutter. The more there is in general, the more there is to clean and organize. Next, don’t get hung up on the details all of the time. Your house doesn’t need to be absolute perfection every day. Sometimes “good enough” will win the game.
Considering any other significant home improvement projects? Click here to check out these tips for going “green” this spring.